Dark Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate combined with spices is how chocolate was first consumed and it is no wonder when you experience this type of recipe. Head Chef, Peter Gorton gave me his own comments on this dish, 'The mousse in a spiced tuille basket was something I came up with for one of my cookery courses and it is now a favourite in the restaurant. The cinnamon and spices go really well together and complement the richness of the dark chocolate'. What a beautiful setting for a perfect chocolate dessert with views over a rolling Devon valley.

RECIPE INGREDIENTS; (4 servings)

Decoration

50g/1 3/4oz white chocolate (See my recommendation)

For the Chocolate Mousse - Makes 14 oz

1 medium egg yolk

1 tablespoon brandy

15g/ 1/2 oz melted butter

2 medium egg whites

1 tablespoon sugar

125ml/4fl oz double cream

175g/6oz dark chocolate, melted and kept warm (See my recommendation)

Spiced Tuilles

25g/1oz butter plus extra for greasing

25g/ 1oz icing sugar

1 small egg white

20g/ 3/4 oz plain flour

teaspoon of cinnamon, allspice and ground cloves

Raspberry Sauce - Makes 450ml

50g/1 3/4 oz castor sugar

125g/4 1/2 oz raspberries

Lemon juice, to taste

Extra raspberries and mint sprigs, to garnish

PREPARATION

Melt the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water. When melted, place the chocolate in a greaseproof paper piping bag. Pipe lacy ‘cobwebs’ of chocolate on to a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper. Chill until set.

To make the mousse

Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water. Beat in the egg yolk, brandy, butter and 3 tablespoons of the cream. In a large bowl, whip the remainder of cream until it holds its own shape on the surface, then fold carefully into the chocolate mousse mixture.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until they form soft peaks. Gradually whisk in the castor sugar and continue whisking until stiff but not dry. Gently fork the egg whites, a little at a time, into the chocolate mixture until well combined. Spoon the mousse into a large piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and set aside.

Pre-heat oven 190c/375f/gas 5

To make the tuille biscuits

Line a baking sheet with greaseproof paper and brush lightly with melted butter. In a bowl cream the butter and icing sugar together. Add the egg whites and whisk until smooth. Sift the flour and spices in and mix to a smooth batter. Spread the batter into four 10cm circles, about the thickness of a 10p coin, on to the greased baking sheet, with at least 2.5cm between them to allow for spreading. Cook for 6—8 minutes until lightly browned. Cool for a minute or so.

Carefully peel one from the sheet with a palette knife and shape it over an upturned ramekin or cup. Repeat to make three more ‘cups’.

To make the raspberry sauce

Combine the sugar and raspberries in a pan. Heat until almost boiling and simmer for 3 minutes, stirring. Purée in a blender, then rub through a sieve to remove the seeds. Add lemon juice to taste.

To serve

Place a tuille basket on each plate. Pipe tall swirls of mousse into each basket and top with the white chocolate ‘cobwebs. Decorate each plate with raspberries, a sprig of mint and a spoonful of raspberry sauce.

The Horn of Plenty Country House Hotel and Restaurant

Gulworthy

Tavistock

Devon

PL19 8JD

England

Chocolate Traveller Notes

I very much like the mix of textures with this dessert and I think the contrast of dark and white chocolate, in moderation, works very well also. Not to mention the addition of the spices which make this dessert that little bit different. For the white chocolate I recommend both the Amedei, Toscano Bianco white chocolate bar (50g) and the Valrhona Le Blanc white chocolate block (250g). I would also recommend the Chocolate Trading Co. white chocolate chips as a more economical option as they are really versitile for decoration, although they come in a 1kg bag and this recipe only requires 50g they will always come in handy. For the dark chocolate I would opt for either the Valrhona Le noir 61% block (1kg) or the Le Noir 68% bar (250g) as this wouldn't be too much of a jump in cocoa content. Word of warning though; less is more for the white chocolate decoration in my opinion.